Series: Evaporated
by ShadowOfApate
Summary: Experimental Fic. A series of stories detailing the trouble Joxer gets into.


Series Title: One Step Forward

Title: Evaporated

Author: Aeris Jade Orion

Series Part: 1/?

Rating: R

Pairing: J/G

Timeline: Lyre, Lyre. Season Five

Authors Notes: I decided to try to overcome my lack of writing by doing a series based on varias songs. Sort of a self created lyrics challenge.

Second, due to health issues, and taking care  
of my disabled mom, I haven't been able to  
write much. But over the last several years  
I've managed to slowly write on a number  
of stories.

What I've decided to do is go ahead and  
publish what I've managed to put together.  
The stories are unfinished, and sometimes,  
the last chapter I worked on is unfinished.  
Plus, there maybe multiple chapters, each one a different version. Just warning everyone.

So I apologize in advance.

Disclaimer: Not Mine.

Summary: A series of mischievous events that Joxer manages to get into.

Joxer blinked blurrily around the city. Each step was far more unstable than his normal, undrunken walk. Still he managed to remain on his feet.

Barely.

Sighing heavily he took another swig of the Raki. The sharp, sour liquor burning its way down his raw throat. Carrying him further and further into a drunk stuper.

An insane giggle ripped its way free from his loose body. His eyes twinkling wickedly. Mischievous ideas danced across his mind. Each one more chaotic than the last.

"What d'ya want?" A burly voice demanded.

Joxer sqiunted at the blurred figure. He blinked slowly as somewhere in his muddled mind he realized that he had stumbled into a tattoo and piercing shop...place...thing...

"Er..."

Truthfully he hadn't intended or even thought about getting a tattoo...or piercing. Never, ever. He'd been, well he wouldn't say raised, so much as picked up from his mother that such a thing was not for respectable warriors, assassions, or warlords.

'Just like Jace.' He thought solemnly.

He'd never gotten on well with either of his brothers. Jett had made a habit of beating and picking on him, while Jace treated him like a baby.

What had made everything so much worse was his parents. His parents had been very vocally, and visibly disgusted with Jace. Both because the oldest triplet was gay, and because he wanted to be a dancer/singer.

Jett on the other hand was the favorite. Learning everything their father could teach about being a warlord, and everything about being an assassian from their mother.

Joxer had been forced into the background, ignored by both parents. Instead he'd spent his entire childhood having to teach himself everything ranging from social skills to what little fighting skill he actually had.

Then when they were twelve Jace was offically disowned. Jett and Joxer had been lectured about even talking about their ex-brother. The rules had been clear there was no Jace in their family, and any action taken by the two remaining brothers acknowledging Jace would be used to also disown said brother.

After that had come a lecture on what was acceptable in their family, and what wasn't. No dancing, no acting, no bards, no piercings, no gays, no tattoos. Instead their family demanded that they be good little killers.

They had destroyed his dreams of being a ministral. Or traveling the world and performing for kings and nobles. Of worshipping Apollo, and dedicating his life to making people happy.

The two bastards that gave birth to him had given him his armor, his sword, and thrown him out. They'd ordered him to find a powerful warlord and join him. Preferably that blood thirsty Xena.

He'd tried of course. Tried to join Xena only to discover she'd left that life behind. In desperation he'd turned to Callisto.

Boy had that worked out well.

Now after so many years, he'd finally run into Jace again. He'd done exactly as instructed. He'd ignored the oldest triplet. He'd denied they were related, he'd hurt his brother.

'I'm a bastard.' He thought sadly.

It killed his soul knowing what he'd become. What his family had turned him into. Oh, he knew that they had given him such badly made armor and sword in hopes he'd be killed.

He even knew that they didn't want him around Jace to keep Joxer from ignoring their orders and give up on being a warrior. They weren't dumb, they knew what his dream was.

And he was letting them win.

"Hey, this isn't a bar, either tell me what you want or get out!"

Joxer eyed the man, his drunken mind racing around among ideas he would never consider sober. Finally he grinned darkly.

"Fuck 'em."

Joxer rather smuggly smirked as he stumbled down the crowded street two hours later. Okay, so it was more like a goofy, very crooked smile, but at that moment he was to drunk to care.

"Joxer, there you are..."

He paused unsteadily in front of the gorgeous amazon. He wasn't sure but he thought he remembered her showing an interest in him. Something that was rather rare.

"Am...Amo...Amoria." He hiccuped, making his left knee buckle slightly.

"Whoa." Amoria grabbed him, laughing softly at his drunken antics. "It looks like someones been having a good time."

"At least someone is." He replied, wondering who was so lucky.

"So what are you up to?" Amoria asked.

"I'm...I'm...I'm disobeying my parents." He declared around his hiccups.

"Ohh. A bad boy." Amoria purred. "I love bad boys."

"Th-thats m-me." He said. "T-to Hades w-with 'em."

"How exactly are you disobeying them?"

"I don't know." He admitted. "I w-was thinking about b-burning what I-I'm wearing."

"Everything?" She asked with obvious delight.

"E-everything." He declared.

"And after?"

"I-I'm damn well g-gonna w-wear what I want." He nodded decisively. "Don't care what m-my so-called p-parents say."

"I know just the thing." She smirked with a predatory gleam in her eyes.

He took a deep gulp from his half empty bottle of Raki, wondering dimly if maybe he should be worried.

Joxer paused blearily in front of the woodworkers shop. His mind had long since stopped working completely. He was barely aware of the absence of his armor and sword. All of which were now ash and blobs of metal.

It had been surprisingly freeing. Like a weight that had been suffocating him had been removed.

He had thankfully managed to get away from Amoria and buy a rather cheap, plain outfit. Simple, sturdy dark brown suede pants, and boots. A long sleeved white tunic finished the outfit.

'Take that Dad.' He thought viciously.

He managed to get into the store without falling into anything. He was on a mission afterall. A mission of great inportance.

It was time to replace his lyre.

Stupid Jett. The middle triplet had discovered Joxer's lyre and had destroyed it. Oh he hadn't told on Joxer so he was still part of the family. But Jett had made it clear that if he found Joxer with another instrument then that would quickly change.

Well, he didn't care anymore. He was going to do what he wanted. If he wanted to be a warrior he'd be a warrior. If he wanted to be a ministral he'd be a goddess damned ministral.

Even if it meant being disowned.

"Can I help you?" The owner asked.

"Where are your l-lyres?" Joxer slurred, pounding on the counter.

It was his life. Not his parents. At least while he was drunk.

"Jace!"

Joxer raced forward on unsteady feet, grabbing the confused triplet into a tight hug.

"I love you. You're the b-best brother i-in the world. M-my brother." He sobbed into the other boys chest.

"You're drunk." Jace accused.

"No I-I'm not." Joxer denied pulling away and draining the last of the Raki.

"Yes you are." Jace said. "Your ear..."

"Nighty night." Joxer interrupted and passed out into Jace's arms.

Pain.

It seemed to be all he could feel. Pain flooding his mind and every inch of his body. His eyes throbbed as the sun hit them.

He turned onto his right side, burrowing his face into the pillow, trying to hide from the sun... and failing. He groaned, the sound coming out like something a dying cat with a melon stuck in its throat would make.

Gods, he felt like he'd been skinned, stuffed, and then ripped apart.

Several times.

He curled up into a fetal position, whimpering pitifully. He'd just had to get drunk. Drunk on Raki, one of the strongest, most concentrated liqour avalible.

" 'm 'ever drinkin a'ain. "

Never, ever, ever again.

Drinking made him do things he'd never do otherwise. Like performing a strip tease in front of a certain blond bard, or get a tattoo on his upper left hand back, and get certain parts of his body pierced...

He popped up from the bed in a panic. Memories appearing in his mind that made him sick just thinking about.

He raced over to the mirror and stared in horror. His left ear had two earrings. One in his lobe and one at the top of the ear. Which meant...

In fear he pulled the front of his pants out and peared down. What little blood was in his head rushed out making him light headed.

A scream ripped from his throat. The pure horror echoing through the room, and reaching out to anyone within a mile of his room.

He was subconciously aware of Xena and Gabby bursting into the room. However his eyes were still locked onto... still unable to believe that... that...

" What's wrong? " Xena demanded.

He whimpered unable to speak around the piece of metal in his tongue. He tried to release his grip on his pants as the two women came over and curiously looked themselves.

However the sheer horror of what he'd done kept him frozen in place.

" Huh. Looks like you'll be making some woman very happy. " Xena smirked barely holding in her laughter.

" Exactly how drunk were you? " The bard asked in disbelief.

He simply whimpered. He was never drinking again.

Artist: Ben Folds Five  
Album: Whatever And Ever Amen  
Title: Evaporated

What I've kept with me  
And what I've thrown away  
And where the hell I've ended up

On this glory random day  
Were the things I really cared about  
Just left along the way  
For being too pent up and proud

Woke up way too late  
Feeling hung over and old  
And the sun was shining bright

And I walked barefoot down the road  
Started thinking about my old man  
It seems that all men

Wanna get into a car and go anywhere?

Here I stand,  
Sad & free  
I can't cry and I can't see  
What I've done  
God... What have I done

So don't you know I'm numb, man  
No I don't feel a thing at all  
Cause its all smiles and business  
these days and I am indifferent to the loss

I've faith that there's a soul  
whose leading me around  
I wonder if she knows  
Which way is down...

I poured my heart out  
I poured my heart out  
it evaporated...see?

Blind man on a canyon's edge  
of a Panoramic scene

Or maybe I'm a kite  
That's flying high & random  
Dangling a string  
Or slumped over in a vacant room

Head on a stranger's knee  
I'm sure back home  
They think I've lost my mind.

To Be Continued


End file.
